


The Perfect Curve

by unights (Previously8)



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: 10 years before the anime, Banter, Calligraphy, Gen, International Fanworks Day 2021, Translation, they are teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:02:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29468409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Previously8/pseuds/unights
Summary: "Who do you think will win today? I'm betting on Hunter.""Never," Kaoru countered, confident. "Wasp's technique is vastly superior."Or: There's a race coming up whose victor Cherry and Joe can't agree on-- but whatdothey agree on? Oh, and Kaoru's parents can absolutely never know that he secretly goes skateboarding at night.(Translation into English of "Die Perfekte Linie" by Vem_Chan // eine Englische Übersetzung von ,,Die Perfekte Linie" von Vem_chan)
Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe & Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom & Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom's Parents
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	The Perfect Curve

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Die Perfekte Linie](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29139453) by [Vem_chan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vem_chan/pseuds/Vem_chan). 



> Original Author's Note: Just another reminder, that this fic is set 10 years (ish) before canon, and so Cherry and Joe are both still teenagers.
> 
> Translator's note: since ep 4, as Vem_chan reminded me, we know that Cherry and Joe actually were the ones to establish S. this fic, having been written after ep 2, doesn't take it into account-- I hope that doesn't bother anyone, consider it an AU if you want :D
> 
> I'm tagging this with the internation fanworks day tag for two reasons 1) Sk8 deserves more love! and 2) non-english fic deserves more love too!!

Kaoru traced his brush in curved lines over the parchment. 

Powerful, but precise. 

With elegance, and with pride. 

So that the passion of the calligrapher could be seen in a single look. 

At least--those were the descriptions that he had often heard from his father, or competition judges. No one else would react so ecstatically about a couple of lines on paper. Or, Kaoru assumed as much. He himself found calligraphy artistic, sure, but that was only because he knew how much effort was woven into each line. It also probably had something to do with his pride. 

He dipped his brush in the ink once more. 

A soft knock came at the door and his mother opened the door to his room gently. 

"Are you still at it?" she whispered. Kaoru could almost hear the yawn in her voice. She was tired. 

He nodded without turning and continued to trace the line he had started. 

“I’m heading to bed,” his mother continued. “You should too.”

He nodded again, finished the character, and lay the brush carefully in its holder. Other footsteps approached his room, stopped in front of his door. For a moment, it was quiet, then he heard his father say to his mother, “let him practice… Practice makes perfect.” He padded away. Kaoru swallowed once, and turned around.

Right, practice makes perfect, practice makes the master. And that was what he would one day become: a calligraphy master.

His mother was still standing at the door, and she gifted him a tired smile. “Sleep well,” she said quietly. 

“You too.”

As soon as his mother’s steps faded away and Kaoru was sure that neither of his parents would be checking in on him again, he checked the clock. Eleven-eleven: he still had a little time. 

Carefully, Kaoru put his calligraphy set away, before he took off his komon and traded it for the least formal clothing he possessed. It was still not the typical skater “look”, but uniform enough not to stick out. Or maybe, not eccentric enough to stick out, like it seemed the rest of the people wanted to.

Last of all, he pulled on his black mask. It covered the bottom haft of his face, a precautionary measure to make sure he wasn’t recognized, and tied up his hair in a high ponytail. After one more glance at the clock, he pulled out his phone and wrote Nanjo a message, telling him that he was ready. Then, silently, he opened the window and climbed out.

A cool night breeze blew as he waited against the fence at the edge of his family’s property. Next to him, his skateboard stood at the ready. 

For a second, he closed his eyes, and an anticipatory smile found its way to his face. He loved these nights. 

Ten minutes later, he was slowly becoming impatient. Nanjo was taking his time. 

“You’re late,” he greeted his green-haired friend scowling, when he finally arrived. 

“Chill,” the newcomer replied, holding up his hands in a gesture of innocence. “We’ve still got lots of time to make it.”

“Do you have your sticker?” Kaoru asked, half intending to provoke him, and nudged his board off the wall. 

“As if I’d forget!” Nanjo retorted, incensed. 

“With your birdbrain,” countered the pink-haired friend magnanimously, “I wouldn’t have been surprised.” He rode past Nanjo, in the direction he had come. 

“What did you say, four-eyes?” demanded Nanjo. He caught up to Kaoru quickly enough, but he didn’t react further. 

For a minute, they rode quietly next to each other. 

“Who do you think will win, today?” the green-haired boy finally asked into the quiet, “I'm betting on Hunter."

"Never," Kaoru countered, sounding certain. "Wasp's technique is vastly superior to Hunters. She’s much more efficient."

“Wasp’s skateboarding is boring—the 'optimal track for every curve' and all that. As if we'd believe her,” Nanjo scoffed. “But of course you buy it, Kaoru,—you ride the exact same way as her.”

“Cherry,” Kaoru corrected him pointedly. He knew, that it was hard for his friend—who usually only ever used his first name—to get used to the code names, but practically anyone could hear them, here, and Kaoru had to be absolutely sure that his parents never got any wind of anything about skateboarding. Otherwise, his secret hobby, his only escape from an otherwise strictly regulated everyday, would be over forever. Kojirou knew how important this was to him. 

“Right, Cherry,” corrected his friend, “that’s what I meant.”

Kaoru nodded, pleased. “Wasp’s way of driving the ideal path has brought her uncountable victories,” he continued their previous topic. “Admit it--calculation and perfection will always beat risk-taking and impulsive skateboarding.”

“No way! Give it up--calculations belong in school, and not on the track,” he countered. “Skateboarding is all about trusting your instincts and gut feelings.”

The pink-haired boy scoffed. “We’ll just have to see who wins, today.”

(In fact, the race was incredible—but ended in a tie. Their conflict would never be resolved.)

**Author's Note:**

> Original Author's Note: I personally do believe in calculation and all that, but I'm leaving it open here (to not offend anyone). Also, the fact that Cherry refers to Joe with his last name (and only once with his first name) was done on purpose. I hope it had the desired effect, and didn't make anyone confused. I figure he would probably adopt a kind of distance attitude (as one does to a certain extent in Japan), despite acknowledging their friendship. Thank you for reading! >~< I hope that you like my headcanons.
> 
> Translator's Note:  
> This is the first time I've ever translated something! Please if you catch any errors, let me know. If you liked this fic, feel free to let me know via a comment but also go support the original fic!! My drive to translate this was not only because the fandom was starving for matchablossom fic, but because I really liked Vem_chan's style, even if it's very different to my own -- I hope I got it across here, too!


End file.
